Bold prediction... Florida Marlins will make the playoffs this year...

[dkgojackets]

Re: Bold prediction... Florida Marlins will make the playoffs this year...

The offense has got to be an improvement over last year, even with Delgado gone.

I dont believe what I just read.

[ericjwm]

Re: Bold prediction... Florida Marlins will make the playoffs this year...

I dont believe what I just read.

Believe it.... Delgado just didn't get the job done last season. He's a great player, but when it comes to clutch hitting, he stunk in 2005. There were only 5 times or so the whole season that Delgado came through late in the game to tie it... then we'd usually go on to lose in the 9th or 10th.
Hopefully for the Mets sake he'll perform better at Shea.

[ericjwm]

Re: Bold prediction... Florida Marlins will make the playoffs this year...

The problem for the Marlins to sign Juan Gonzalez is that he won't sign with a National League team to come off the bench. There is still a chance he could be invited back to training camp with the Indians, also the Yankees and Orioles have been said to have minor interest (the Yankees to replace Ruben Sierra and the Orioles as just an invite).

Well with Cabrera playing at 3rd now, I was thinking maybe Gonzalez could take over in right or left field.... if he can somehow become more durable. Florida would also be a comfortable place for him, as he likes to keep a low profile.

[dkgojackets]

Re: Bold prediction... Florida Marlins will make the playoffs this year...

They arent just losing Delgado (over .300/30/100), Castillo (over .300) is gone, Pierres 180 hits are gone, LoDucas league-leading AB/K ratio is gone, and the rest (Juan E, Gonzalez, Lowell, Conine) were all solid veteran players the cant just be replaced by rookies for a successful season. In 2 or 3 years this will be the team to beat (hopefully they will be here in Charlotte), but this season will be ugly.

[ericjwm]

Re: Bold prediction... Florida Marlins will make the playoffs this year...

It may sound crazy, but even so I still think the offense will be better. On paper it LOOKS like those guys were productive, but if you watched 100+ games like I did, then you'd know that stuff hardly ever happened in key situations.
It's too bad they didn't at least keep Pierre though.

As far as the Marlins moving. I guess if theres absolutely no way for them to stay in FL, I'd rather see them go to either NC or Portland.

[rsox]

Re: Bold prediction... Florida Marlins will make the playoffs this year...

Well with Cabrera playing at 3rd now, I was thinking maybe Gonzalez could take over in right or left field.... if he can somehow become more durable. Florida would also be a comfortable place for him, as he likes to keep a low profile.

Good points but i think Juan needs (and wants to be) somewhere where he can DH and play some OF. Jeremy Hermida is set in RF but there should be some competition in LF, Reggie Abercrombie, Chris Aguila, Matt Cepicky and Josh Willingham are all vying for the job but i would not be surprised if the Marlins sign a veteran to fill the spot (Richard Hidalgo, Bob Higginson or Terence Long).

[dkgojackets]

Re: Bold prediction... Florida Marlins will make the playoffs this year...

It may sound crazy, but even so I still think the offense will be better. On paper it LOOKS like those guys were productive, but if you watched 100+ games like I did, then you'd know that stuff hardly ever happened in key situations.
It's too bad they didn't at least keep Pierre though.

As far as the Marlins moving. I guess if theres absolutely no way for them to stay in FL, I'd rather see them go to either NC or Portland.

I was only able to watch the games against the Braves on TV, and I do agree that the numbers would suggest coming through in big situations more than it actually happened, but I dont think it will be any better this year. Hope Im wrong though.

Right now my one wish is for them to move to Charlotte. Theres been a couple articles in the paper about the plan to fund a downtown stadium, and that would be incredible.

[Brandon13]

Re: Bold prediction... Florida Marlins will make the playoffs this year...

They still won't make the playoffs but this prediction doesn't look as crazy as it once did.

[Lintyfresh85]

Re: Bold prediction... Florida Marlins will make the playoffs this year...

ha I was just thinking about my prediciton today...

This is why I made it, they have a ton of young talent and as you can see when they start to put it together they are a good team... I wish I had held off a year on the predicition though... But that's why I made it this year, because come next year everyone will be all about them...

The only major holes I see for them are in Center and behind the plate... once they get that settled down and build a slightly stronger bullpen they should be set.

[mjb2124]

Re: Bold prediction... Florida Marlins will make the playoffs this year...

If you are trying to go with a long shot take the Pittsburgh Pirates (a good mix of veterans and young players, no more Lloyd) they at least have an outside chance at competing for the wild card.

Except KC just swept us.....with ease. Things aren't looking good here at all. Tracy has lost this team ans has shown he's just as poor as Lloyd was.


As for the Marlins, I don't think they'll make it this year, but I do like the young nucleus they have. They'll be good in a year or 2.

Ironically, the Marlins have built themselves up, won a World Series, got torn apart and then gone through the process again more than any team I've ever seen. It's sad and funny to see as a Pirates fan whose team hasn't been competitive for 14 straight years.

[dkgojackets]

Re: Bold prediction... Florida Marlins will make the playoffs this year...

If the four young starters (Willis, Johnson, Nolasco, Olsen) can keep their ERA under 3 like it has been during this run and the offense keeps up this pace, theyll be right in there at the end. Eventually, though, I think opposing hitters will figure out the pitching.

[JoseValentinWooo]

Re: Bold prediction... Florida Marlins will make the playoffs this year...

the only way it could happen is if some how the cubs and mets did a 25 man trade on july 31st.

Then the cubs, i mean the mets, would have a 20 or so game lead on september 1st over the marlins, and well we all know how they are with big leads in september

[rsox]

Re: Bold prediction... Florida Marlins will make the playoffs this year...

Except KC just swept us.....with ease. Things aren't looking good here at all. Tracy has lost this team ans has shown he's just as poor as Lloyd was.

It just goes to show that no matter how good a team looks on paper it doesn't mean they'll look good on the field.

Letting Tracy go was the best move the Dodgers made all winter.

[mjb2124]

Re: Bold prediction... Florida Marlins will make the playoffs this year...

It just goes to show that no matter how good a team looks on paper it doesn't mean they'll look good on the field.

Letting Tracy go was the best move the Dodgers made all winter.

Yep, I had higher expectations (that being a .500 record). The Pirates are playing horrible baseball right now and are on the verge of losing 100+. Doesn't seem like the players even care.

I didn't know much about Tracy when he came here, but I slowly learned to hate him. You should hear this guy in the media. He's been throwing his player's under the bus time and time again and at the same time, complimenting himself and what he did in 2004 with LA. He seems very full of himself. Not to mention that he changed Zack Duke's mechanics after Duke did great last year and changed Chris Duffy's hitting mechanics after Duffy hit .341 in limited time last year. Why would someone try to fix what isn't broke? Uggh..... I can't help but rant about this guy!

[rsox]

Re: Bold prediction... Florida Marlins will make the playoffs this year...

Yep, I had higher expectations (that being a .500 record). The Pirates are playing horrible baseball right now and are on the verge of losing 100+. Doesn't seem like the players even care.

I didn't know much about Tracy when he came here, but I slowly learned to hate him. You should hear this guy in the media. He's been throwing his player's under the bus time and time again and at the same time, complimenting himself and what he did in 2004 with LA. He seems very full of himself. Not to mention that he changed Zack Duke's mechanics after Duke did great last year and changed Chris Duffy's hitting mechanics after Duffy hit .341 in limited time last year. Why would someone try to fix what isn't broke? Uggh..... I can't help but rant about this guy!

As someone who watches the Dodgers alot i know exactly what you are saying. The only reason Tracy had any kind of success with the Dodgers is because the NL West is the worst division in Baseball. Having to manage in a division with real competitive teams has exposed Tracy as the crappy manager that he is. I wouldn't expect him to keep the Pirates job for long.